The "Predictors of Success in Postsecondary STEM Education and Employment for Students with Autism" study is providing the research in disabilities education field with knowledge about promoting the success in STEM for students with autism. The study is built on a conceptual model which postulates that STEM success is influenced by a complex interaction between the individual and their social contexts. Longitudinal analyses will enable the characterization of academic and career trajectories and examine correlates of successful outcomes for students with autism in STEM. The project team is analyzing data from the U.S. Department of Education's National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2)- a nationally representative dataset of students with autism and other disability groups - to build an evidence base of factors associated with the postsecondary education and initial employment experiences of young adults with autism in STEM fields. The dataset was collected between 2001 and 2009, with a sample of more than 11,000 students with disabilities. A secondary analysis of 900 students with autism is being conducted to address four goals:
1. To ascertain the prevalence and individual-level correlates of STEM-related college majors among students with autism relative to those with other disabilities.
2. To examine the association between STEM experiences and other services during high school with later STEM-related academic achievement.
3. To characterize the supports and services received in colleges by students with autism in STEM majors, student perception of those supports, and how they relate to STEM persistence and completion.
4. To analyze patterns of employment in STEM-related jobs among young adults with autism and correlates of postsecondary degree completion and services received with successful career outcomes.
This project is being evaluated by an independent external evaluator, Dr. Leslie Cooksy, from the University of Delaware. Dissemination activities target researchers, educators, administrators, people with disabilities and their families, policy makers, and advocacy organizations. Peer-reviewed journal publications will also advance dissemination to a broader stakeholder group.
